Device for collecting finely-divided minerals and slimes.



No; 660,844. Patented'flct. 30,1900.

W. E. DARBOW. DEVIGE FDR COLLECTING FINELY DIVIDED MINERALS AND SLIMES.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 sheets sheet l.

I a'mmamw, Man n g In: Nonms PETERS co. Primoumou WASHINGTON. DV 0.

- Patented Oct. 30, I900. W. E. D'ARROW. DEVICE FOR COLLECTING FINELY DIVIDED MINERALS AND SLIMES.

(Application filed Feb. 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet 2.

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'canvas or other belts.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILTON ELMORE DARROW, OF SONORA, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR COLLECTING FlNELY-DIVIDED MINERALS AND SLIMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,844, dated October 30, 1900.

Application filed February 23 1900. Serial No. 6,231. (N 0 model.)

vices for Collecting Finely-Divided Minerals and Slimes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for concentrating and collecting highgrade mineral.

It consists of submerged inclined surfaces upon which said mineral is concentrated and a means for precipitating and eliminating heavy waste gangue, while the fine particles in suspension flow on with the water and may be collected in reservoirs for future treatment.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the center. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an end view partially in sectiont Fig. 4 is a detail view showing cords 7.

In the milling of ores large quantities of valuable minerals are so finely pulverized that they remain insuspension in the water and cannot be collected either on vanners'or In fact, some of the material will remain in suspension in still water for days. I have discovered that in working gold ores a large part of this fine mineral may be concentrated on submerged inclined surfaces as high-grade product, while the fine material that still remains in suspension in' the water after being separated from the heavy waste gangue will assay approximately the same as the original ore.

Various devices may be employed in car rying out my invention. In the present drawings I have illustrated one means for effecting the desired result; but it will be manifest that the inclined surfaces may be variously arranged to suit conditions or the desires of the user.

As here shown, A represents a tank-receptacle or generally any inclosed space within which the inclined surfaces 2 are fixed.

a portion of one of the 3 is a sluice for supplying the material to be concentrated, and 4 is the overflow discharge-sluice through which the water and fine sli mespass out, this discharge being upon about the same level with 3.

5 is a distribution-box as a means for admitting the material uniformly and gently into the head of the apparatus.

The inclined surfaces 2 for collecting and savin gthe high-grade material are submerged in the water within the space into which it is admitted through the distributingbox.

' They may be made of any suitable material such as thin lumber, canvas, or the like and are placed at an angle of between fortyfive and ninety degrees or on such a slant that the heavy gangue will slide off. The bottom of this space or'chamberis formed with a corrugated or channeled floor 6, having apertures or orifices at the bottom or apex of each of the channels, through which the' l gangue is allowed to escape.

this floor is to confine the circulation of wa-' ter carryingmill-tailings to the upper compartment, where it may now slowly over the submerged inclined surfaces. These openi'ngs are normally closed during this operation by valves orstoppers of'any suitable do- I scription.

I havehere illustrated a suitable formof stopper, consisting of flexible cords '7, extending above the transverse slits -or openings 8, and when these are lowered they stop the openings and prevent the tailings in the upper compartment from passing down into the lower compartment 9,into which these apertures open. This is for the purpose of preventing their escape when the discharge-gate is opened. The apertures may be of any shape and size, and any suitable device other than that described may beemployed for closing them without altering the character of the invention. The openings are large enough to permit the escape of heavy materialand preventing it from building up around the inclined surfaces. When the apparatus is in use, both upper and lower chambers are filled with water and the sand or heavy gangue dropping into these troughs or compartments 6 willpass down through the apertures into the lower compartment and accumulating therein may be discharged at suitable intervals. The floor of this compartment preferably converges to The object of the chamber 9 and numerously perforated, so

that water discharged therefrom will assist in sluicing out the material which is collected in this chamber.

The operation of the apparatus will be as follows: The discharge-gate 10 being closed the apertures in the corrugated floor 6 are opened. Clear water is then admitted through the pipe or pipes 11 and will first fill the lower compartment, thence rising up through the apertures and submerging the inclined surfaces and filling the entire apparatus. The supply of clear water is then nearly or quite cut off. The tailings are admitted and flow slowly through the receptacle. A part of the fine material will adhere to the submerged inclined surfaces, while the heavy material will sink to the bottom and will pass through the openings in the corrugated bottom or fioor'6,

settling in the lower compartment or compartments. The very light material which remains in suspension is carried on by the water and discharged through the overflow or discharge gate 4: and may be collected in reservoirs for future treatment. If there is a tendency for valuable suspended material to settledown with the gangue, it may be prevented from doing so by maintaining a continual flow of clear water from the pipes in the chamber below, and this Water rising through the openings into the upper compartment acts as a hydraulic classifier. When the lower compartment becomes filled with the waste material and requires discharge, the apertures above are closed, a discharge-gate 10 is opened, and a large volume of clear water admitted through the pipe or pipes 11, and the gangue or waste material is thus slniced out. The discharge-gate is then closed, the lower compartment is again filled with clear water, thus balancing and relieving the downward pressure from above, and lastly the apertures are opened and the operation continued.

When the inclined surfaces become charged with fine mineral, which can be noted by inspection, they may be removed in sections, cleaned, and replaced without interrupting the continued operation of the apparatus, or, if desired, the tailings may be turned off and the accumulated sand discharged, as above described, after which the inclined surfaces may be washed off, the product passing out through the discharge-gate 10 and collected in suitable receptacles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for collecting finely-divided mineral and separating it from heavier gangue comprising a stationary tank having upper and lower compartments and a floor separating one compartment from the other and corrugated transversely, said upper compartment having an inlet at one end portion and an overflow at the opposite end portion, a series of superposed collecting-s11 rfaces submerged beneath the surface of the water in the tank and extending in the direction of the fiow of the water through said tank, said surfaces inclined toward the longitudinal sides ofthe tank whereby heavy material will slide off the surfaces by gravitation and be delivered in the channels formed by the corrugated floor, and the lighter material will adhere to said surfaces.

2. An apparatus for separating finely-divided material from heavier gangue and col lecting it comprising a tank having a bottom inclined laterally and also inclined longitu-.

dinally to a point of discharge, a transverselycorrugated floor in the tank and dividing the latter into upper and lower compartments, superposed collecting-surfaces in the upper compartment below the surface of the water and extending in the direction of the flow of the latter, and inclined toward the longitudinal sides of the tank, said upper compartment having an inlet and overflow, means for admitting water to both compartments, passages connecting the two compartments and means controlling said passages.

3. An apparatus for separating finely-divided material from heavier gangue and collecting it, consisting of a stationary tank or receptacle having supply and discharge pas sages, transversely-inclined collecting-surfaces fixed therein, and disposed in vertical series, means for supplying Water from a plurality of points upwardly in the vertical plane of the plates whereby inclined surfaces are constantly submerged, and means including transversely-extending channels below the surfaces for collecting and discharging the heavy gangue without disturbing the inclined surfaces and their load.

t. An apparatus for separating finely-(1L vided mineral from heavier gangue consisting of a stationary tank or space having surfaces inclined toward the longitudinal sides of the tank so that heavy material will slide therefrom and lighter material will collect thereon, means for supplying water from below to fill the tank and submerge the surfaces, means for supplying material to pass through the tank and over the surfaces, and a discharge at the opposite end, a transversely corrugated or channeled bottom having openings therethrough and a closed receptacle beneath which is also filled with water whereby the heavy sediment gradually passes through the openings into the lower compartment without agitation in the upper compartment.

5. An apparatus for collecting finely-divided material and separating it from heavier gangue, consisting of a stationary tank or receptacle having transversely-inclined surfaces and transversely corrugated or channeled bottom with apertures therethrough, a

to rise and fill the upper chamber.

6. A means for concentrating and saving fine suspended mineral contained in mill-tailings, consisting of atankhaving upper and lower compartments, stationary, submerged,

transversely-inclined surfaces in the upper compartment, and means for delivering upfiowing currents of water directly under the surfaces, from the lower compartment, where by the products of difierent specific gravity are separated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 20 hand.

WILTON ELMORE DARROWB Witnesses:

FRANK P. WILSON, JOHN VIAL; 

